Marguerite Mahon and Monica Larue, who were on hand to support the Guinness Gives Back campaign and the Leary Firefighters Foundation, try on some gear on the back of a Drakeville Volunteer Fire Department tanker truck outside a benefit for the department at Backstage in Torrington Saturday.
Esteban L. Hernandez — register Citizen

Whittaker jumped at the chance, enthusiastically holding flashlights and standing by on scene while trained and more experienced firefighters swept buildings, climbed roofs and tackled flames.

“It was almost like a ride-along,” he said.

Fast forward to Saturday, and Whittaker is now a bona fide senior member of the 10-person Drakeville department, which was on hand for a Kegs and Eggs fundraiser at Backstage, where the department’s signature tanker was parked in front, on Main Street. Members of the tight-knit department posed for pictures as patrons filtered in and out of the restaurant.

Some of the proceeds from the St. Patrick’s Day-themed benefit went to the fire department, which is looking to purchase a new stove for its firehouse.

The rest will go to offset unexpected costs and to pay for equipment so the department doesn’t have to tap into the small stipend it gets from the city.

Chris Verrilli, general manager at Backstage, said the firefighters frequent the establishment, so this was the its way of paying homage to local heroes.

“They support us, so we like to give back as much as we can,” he said. “If my house is burning, there can’t be enough firefighters on hand.”

A graphics specialist in Bristol, Whittaker splits time between ESPN and the Drakeville fire department. January marked his 10-year anniversary with the Worldwide Leader. He said close-knit communities understand the function of volunteer fire departments, and that’s why people come out in droves for fundraisers.

Same goes for volunteer firefighters, who understand their roles, even if they can’t be lugging hoses and dousing flames each day.

“Being a career firefighter isn’t in the cards for me,” Whittaker said. “But it’s not about getting on a fire truck and going to a scene. It’s the outreach of interacting with the community.”

Verrilli said few people envy those tasked with rushing into burning buildings. Even fewer would do it if they weren’t getting paid.

“There’s only a select few willing to do what they do, especially with the danger,” he said. “They do it for the love of the community. You can’t put them down for doing something out of the kindness of their heart. In a crisis situation, the politics and the economics mean absolutely nothing. The more the merrier.”

The fundraiser included the sale of Guinness merchandise, including T-shirts and personalized glass etching, and was affiliated with the Leary Firefighters Foundation.